Device for the protection of registering mechanism.



T. MULLER.

DEVIOE FOR THE PROTECTION or REGISTERING MECHANISMS.

AZPLIOATIOI I'ILBD 001. 14,1903.

Patnted May 18, 1909.

2 SHEBTB-BHEBT 1- N 0 mi 0 Q\ I a o T. MULLER.

DEVIGE FOR THE PROTECTION OF REGISTERING MECHANISMS.

APPLI OATIOH FILED OUT. 14, 1908.

Patented May 18, 1909.

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THEODORE MULLER, OF BROOKLYN, NEW YORK.

DEVICE FOR THE PROTECTION OF REGISTERING MECHANISM.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 18, 1909.

Application filed October 14, 1908. Serial No. 467,788.

- ism, and moreparticu arly to means adapted for preventing nondetectable accessto the operating parts of a meter orother registering mechanism. 7

The object in view is the provision of cheap, simple and efficient means adapted for use in com ination with an ordinary meter casin for deflecting any implement introduc between the casing and the transparentplate of the inspection opening thereof for preventing contact of such im' lenient with any of the moving parts wit ill! the casing, the invention being especially well' adapted for use in conjunction with casings of relatively thin sheet material.

With this and further objects in view, as will hereinafter be set forth in part and in part become obvious, the invention comprises certain novel constructions, combinations and arrangements of parts as will be hereinafter fully described and claimed.

in the accompanying drawing,Figm-e 1 is a view in front elevation of an ordinary meter-ceasing to which the present invention has been applied. Fig. 2 is a rear elevation of the casing detached and to which the invention is applied. Fig. 3 is a longivertical, central section taken through Fig 1 on the planes indicated by line 3, 3. ig. 4 is a crspective view of the present improved shield detached. {Fig.5.

5 is a "iew similar to Fig. 3 of a slightly modified form of the invention, the meter operating parts being omitted.

It has been found that various forms of registering mechanism, such as meters, may be tampered with and caused to register falsely or not to register at all without interfering with the passage throu h the meter of the medium to be measured, by the simple expediency, where an ordinary thin sheet metal casing, such as tin, has been provided,

of introducing a straw or other like slender implement between the glass in the inspection openin and the surrounding metal, after the metal has been sprun slightly away from the glass. This access to the meter has been rendered nondctectable by the very nature of the operation which was accom lished somewhat after the manner indicate by the dotted line position of the straw seen in Fig. 3.

Referring to the drawings by numerals, 1 indicates any ordinary meter casing of thin sheet material provided with the usual inspection opening 2 closed by the usual glass or other transparent plate 3. In the usual meter the plate 3 is retained in lace by internally arranged clips or a detac able .t'rinning, so that when the ed of the material of the casing about t e inspection opening is sprung away, after the manner indicated in Fig. 3, an implement ma be readily introduced between the wall the casing and the'plate 3 and passed inwardly until, contacting with some moving part, it interrupts the operation of the meter. To obviate this, I rovide a shield 4 which extends a consi erable distance above and below the inspection opening and is formed with an opening 5, corresponding to and registering with the opening 2, the shield 4 being disposed in the rear of the plate 3 and serving to retain the plate in position in lieu of thc ordinary securing means, although of course the ordinar securing means ma be employed in addition to the shield. The shield 4 may be retained in position by suitable securin bolts 6, 6, fixed to the casingand passed tirough openlngs 7, 7, in the shield. Obviously any suitab e attaching means may be prov! ed other than that described and the shield may be made of any length and width preferred and adapted for deflecting the introduced implement so that the same will be compelled to take the course indicated at 8 in Fig. 3, being thus prevented from any possible access to any of the moving arts. By preference the shield 4 is forme of such dimensions as to fit snugly within and against the front face of the casing 1.

In order to add to. the finished ap earance of the meter, the shield 4 is prefcraibly pro viih-d with an inwardly extending flan or cult 9, which extends about the edges o the o )cniugs and projects inwardly to the dial plate of the meter.

raudulent inside t Obviously, the plate 3 extends at all points beyond the ed es of the opening 5 and hence the cufl 9 is fesigned more particularly for ap arance and may be omitted as indicated in i 5, the structure seen in Fig. 5 bei exact y the same as that above describiifi with the exception of the omission of the cuff 9, the same'reference numerals having been applied to Fig. 5 and the same description applying thereto.

I find that sheet iron or ordina commercial sheet tin is adapted for use in making the shield 4.

While I have limited the claims of the present application to the combination of the improved shield with meter casings of flexible sheet material, I reserve the ri ht to present the generic princi les of the Invention without this limitation to specific combination in companion, co-pending application Serial No. 457,734, filed October 14,1908.

What I claim is 1. In a device of the class described, the combination with a flexible sheet material meter casing having an inspection opening in the front thereof, and a transparent plate closin the said opening, of a shield disposed etween the transparent plate and the operating parts of the meter and formed with an opening correspondin to the inspection opening, said shiel extending within the casing beyond the ed of the inspection opening substantially t oughout the front of the casing for deflecting implements introduced between the transparent plate and the casing from access to the operating arts of the meter.

2. n a device of the class described, the combination with a flexible sheet material meter casing adapted to inclose meter mechamsm and having an inspection to ening, and a transparent plate closing sai openlng, of a guard surrounding the opening and lapping the transparent plate at the ereof and extending beyond; the opemn within the casing a distance substantia y equal to the extent of the moving parts of the meter mechani m.

3. In a device of the classdescribed, the combination \fiith a flexible sheet material meter casing avin an mspectl' 'on opening a transparent plat closin the same an meter mechanism inclosed y the casing, of a shield surround the opening and lapping the transparent p to inside thereof an extendin therefrom beyond the moving parts of a meter mechanism.

4.'In a device ofthe class described, the 60121331126911 vlg'th .a flexible sheet material me casing vin aninspectiono a transparent plategclosin the opening an? meter 'mechamsm incl by the f of a guardsurrounding the an exshield surrounding tending therefrom a distance suflicient to lie between the wall of the meter casin formed with the opening and all the moving parts of the meter mechanism.

5. In a device of the class described, the combination with a flexible sheet material meter easin adapted to inclose meter mechanism and aving an inspection opening in the upper portion of the casing, and a transparent plate closin said opening, of u e opening and lappin the transparent plate from the inside thereo said shield extendin below the ins ction opening a distance su stantially equa to the lowermost extent of the moving parts of the meter mechanism.

6. In a device of the class described, the combination with a flexible sheet material meter casing havin an inspection opening and a transparent p ate clos ng the same, of

a shield in the rear of said plate and formed with an opening corresponding to the inspection opening, said shield having its outer edges extending about the casing. approximately in contact with the surrounding yvalls thereof. I i

7. In a device of the class described, the combination with a flexible sheet material meter casing having an inspection opening, a transparent plate closing the same, and nieter mechanism within said casi of a shield surroundi the openingland appinp thetransparentg ate on the s de thereo and extending om the openin to points substantially the same distan t erefrom as the farthermost moving parts of the meter mechanism, and a cuff extend' about the portion of the .shield surronndmg the inspection o ening and projecting rearwardly from the shield. 8. In a device of the class described, the combination with a meter casing hav ng an ins ecti'on opening, a meter mechanlsln m sai casing and a transparent plate closing said'open the walls of'the casmglabout the ins ction openingbeing of me relatively t in material as to be susceptible of being sprung awa from the transparent plate without brea a of such walls, of a shield lying entirely a at the openmg within the casing and lying in front-of the meter mechanism and extend' adistance from the inspection opening an nt-ially equal to the extent of the meter meehamsm m position for deflecting an instrument passed through the inspection opening and between the casing and transparent plate. 9. In a device of the class the combination with a meter casing and exilge sheet materifilmeter mechanism therein, t emeter casi avmg' anmspectl' 'on opem'ng and a transpiii ent plate closing the same, 0 a shield extending about the plate between the plate and meter mechanism and extending beyond the plate a distance equally substantially to the extent of the meter mech- 10. In a device of the class described, the combination with a flexible sheet material meter casing havin an inspection opening and a transparent p ate a. shield in the rear .of said plate and formed with an opening coincident with and corresponding to the inspection opening, said shield extending beyond the plate and having substantially the same facial area as the area of that face of the casing having the inspection opening.

11. In a device of the class described, the combination with a flexible sheet material meter casing having an inspection opening,

, a transparent plate closing said opening and meter mechanism lnclosed by said casing, of an imperforate shield surrounding said opening and lapping the transparent plate on the inside t erect and extending away from the opening to oints substantially as dist ant therefrom as the farthermost moving parts of the meter mechanism.

12. In a device of the class described, the combination with a flexible sheet material closing the same, of

combination with a meter casing having an inspection opening, a transparent plate closin said 0 ening and meter mechanism inclosed by said casing, of an inipcrforate sheet metal shield surrounding said opening and lappin the trans )arent plate on the inside thereoi and extcn ing away from the openin to points substantially as distant there rom as the farthermost movin parts of the meter mechanism.

13. In a evice of the class described, the flexible sheet material meter casing having an inspection opening in the upper portion )late closing the same and meter mechanism lnclosed by said casing, of a shield lapping the lower edge of the transparent plate on the inside thereof and extendin downwardly therefrom to points substantizfily as distant fromthe opening as the farthermost moving parts of the meter mechanism.

In testimony whereof I afiix'my signature in presence of two witnesses.

THEODORE MULLER.

Witnesses:

THOMAS DURANT, EDGAR M. Krrenm.

thereof, a transparent 

